companiestest Advised to Consider Security When Adopting the iPad With Its Arrival in the UK

The use of the recently arrived Apple iPad in the UK for businesses is something which Lumension believes should be considered carefully in terms of potential for data leakage, problems related to dual usage information technology and potential browser vulnerabilities

The online community and media is buzzing with the arrival of the iPad in the UK.

Whilst consumer demand for the new device soars, businesses need to consider how Apple's iPad has the potential to impact on enterprise communities. Driven by global business and an ever-growing demand for a mobile workforce, the enterprise communication landscape has fragmented. Businesses are engaging with one another and sharing and exchanging content via rich online applications, hosted information portals and instant communication tools.

For the business community, a device like the iPad provides an opportunity for constant connectivity, richer communication and easier access to content - but what are the security implications for enterprise IT teams?

Alan Bentley, SVP International at Lumension, comments: 'As Apple hits the UK market with another innovative highly interactive device, in order for the business community to effectively engage with its full benefits enterprise IT teams must now address the inevitable security challenges that accompany it.

Front of mind areas to watch as the iPad reaches the enterprise mainstream are the following:

* Personal technology - mobile devices like laptops or smartphones are increasingly used for a combination of remote working and personal online engagement. The iPad will continue to drive this so if companies don't have policies in place already to outline rules of engagement with personal technology in the workplace, they need to implement them now.

* Data-leakage - as more consumer-level devices are incorporated into the business process, the greater the risk of data leaks. Protecting or encrypting your corporate data is essential before it is introduced to devices like the iPad.

* Browser-based vulnerabilities - The iPad's browser, like the iPhone and Mac OS browsers is based on the WebKit open-source browser project. Add Google Chrome to that list, and you have enough nodes to make WebKit a meaningful target for the hacker community."

The sooner enterprise IT teams recognise the potential security challenges posed by the introduction of devices like the iPad and implement real-time solutions in order to combat them, the greater the opportunity for the enterprise market to really maximise on the business communication benefits available from interactive tools such as this - without putting their organisation at risk."